Customer Data Platform (CDP)

GLOSSARY

Definition

A customer data platform collects and unifies customer data from every touchpoint — website visits, email opens, purchases, support tickets — into a single profile that other systems can query. Unlike a CRM, which sales teams use to track deals, a CDP is built for marketers who need a real-time, always-on view of each customer across channels.

Why it matters

CDPs became a distinct category around 2016 when the CDP Institute formed. Before that, marketers stitched together data from a CRM, an email platform, and a web analytics tool, and hoped the picture was accurate. The CDP promise is that you stop guessing which version of a customer is real. In practice, the hard part was never the software — it was getting every team to agree on what a 'customer' even means.

Tools in this space

Twilio Segment

Customer data platform for collecting, unifying, and activating customer data

Snowplow

Open-source customer data infrastructure for collecting, enriching, and activating behavioral data

Amplitude

AI-powered digital analytics platform for product and marketing teams

Customer Data Platform (CDP)

Definition

Why it matters

Tools in this space

Related terms